Nutrition Health Benefits of Papaya

The papaya, a previously exotic and
rare fruit, is now readily available at most times of the year. Papayas grow in
tropical climates and are also known as papaws or pawpaws. Their sweet taste,
vibrant color and wide variety of health benefits are just a few reasons to add
them to your diet.

There are many papaya benefits
for your health and this beautiful tropical fruit is proof that nutritious food
can also have an amazing taste.

If you’d like to improve your
skin, relieve digestion problems, protect your eyes and heart and possibly
lower your risk of many diseases like cancer, then consider the many health
benefits of eating papaya.

Nutritional
Values of Papaya:

Papaya comes loaded with
nutrients. Every part of a papaya tree, from the fruit to the leaves contains
some medicinal properties. The nutritional values of papaya per 100 grams are:

Energy- 163 kJ

Calories- 39 kcal

Sugars- 5.90 gram

Carbohydrates- 9.81 gram

Dietary fiber- 1.8 gram

Fat- 0.14 gram

Protein- 0.61 gram

Vitamin A- 328 micrograms (41%)

Vitamin B1- 0.04 milligram (3%)

Vitamin B2- 0.05 milligram (4%)

Vitamin B3- 0.338 milligram (2%)

Vitamin B6- 0.1 milligram (8%)

Vitamin B9- 38 milligram (10%)

Vitamin C- 61.8 milligram (74%)

Calcium- 24 milligram (2%)

Iron- 0.10 milligram (1%)

Magnesium- 10 milligram (3%)

Phosphorus- 5 milligram (1%)

Potassium- 257 milligram (5%)

Sodium- 3 milligram (0%)

Nutrition
Health Benefits of Papaya

Asthma
prevention

The risks for developing asthma
are lower in people who consume a high amount of certain nutrients. One of
these nutrients is beta-carotene, contained in foods like papaya, apricots,
broccoli, cantaloupe, pumpkin and carrots.

Lowers
cholesterol

Papayas are rich in fiber,
Vitamin C and antioxidants that prevent cholesterol build up in your arteries.
Too much cholesterol build-up can block the arteries completely, causing heart
attack. Papaya extracts have also found to reduce lipid and triglycerides in
diabetic rats.

Skin
Protection

It is great for the skin and can
be used as a face pack to get its benefits. It helps to get rid of acne and
skin infections as it helps to open clogged pores. The fermented flesh of
papaya also called as papain helps to dissolve the dead cells, giving fresh and
glowing skin as a result. It is good to cure the skin infections and wounds
that don’t heal quickly.

Anti-ageing

The antioxidants in papaya help
in controlling premature ageing. This quality of the papaya helps you to get a
younger look.

Helps
weight loss

One medium sized papaya contains
just 120 calories. So, if you’re planning to lose weight, don’t forget to add
this light fruit to your diet. Besides, it also packed with a good amount of
dietary fiber that aids weight loss by promoting a feeling of fullness and
controlling cravings.

Good
for diabetics

Despite being sweet in nature,
papayas are low in sugar content (8.3 gm in one cup of sliced papaya) as well
as glycemic index. This property makes papayas excellent fruits for diabetics.
The vitamins and phytonutrients present in them prevents development of heart
disease in diabetes. Also, people who don’t have diabetes can eat papaya to
prevent it from happening.

Inflammation

The choline is a very important
and versatile nutrient in papayas that aids our bodies in sleep, muscle
movement, learning and memory. Choline also helps to maintain the structure of
cellular membranes, aids in the transmission of nerve impulses, assists in the
absorption of fat and reduces chronic inflammation.

Cancer

Consumption of the powerful
antioxidant beta-carotene (found in papayas) has been shown to have an inverse
association with the development of colon cancer in the Japanese population.

Bone
health

Low intakes of vitamin K have
been associated with a higher risk for bone fracture. Adequate vitamin K
consumption is important for good health, as it acts as a modifier of bone
matrix proteins, improves calcium absorption and may reduce urinary excretion
of calcium.

Menstrual
Irregularities

It helps in controlling the
menstrual irregularities in women. Papaya helps to ease menstrual cramps and
helps in promoting regular flow of menstruation.

Kidney
disorder

In poison related kidney disorder
it was found that the aqueous seed extract of the unripe mature fruits of
papaya induces antioxidant and oxidative free radical scavenging and help
kidney to recover.